print making research
http://www.kinderart.com/printmaking/print101.shtml
Relief Printing:
This is printing from a raised surface. A simple example of relief
printing is a rubber stamp pressed into a stamp pad and pressed onto a piece of
paper. Relief printing plates are made from flat sheets of material such as
wood, linoleum, metal, styrofoam etc. After drawing a picture on the surface,
the artist uses tools to cut away the areas that will not print. A roller -
called a brayer - is used to spread ink on the plate. A sheet of paper is
placed on top of the plate and the image is transferred by rubbing with the hand
or a block of wood, or by being run through a printing press. The completed
print is a mirror image of the original plate.
Intaglio:
This describes prints that are made by cutting the picture into the
surface of the printing plate. Using a sharp V-shaped tool - called a burin -
the printmaker gouges the lines of an image into the surface of a smooth
polished sheet of metal or in some cases a piece of plexiglass. To make a print,
ink is pushed into the lines of the design. The surface is then wiped clean so
that the only areas with ink are the lines. A sheet of paper which has been
soaked in water is then placed on the plate which is run through a printing
press. The paper is literally forced into the small lines that have been cut
into the plate. A variation of this technique is known as etching. With etching,
acids are used to eat into the metal plate
.
Planography (Lithography)
As we have just learned, relief prints are created from a raised surface,
and intaglio prints are created from a cut surface. Planography however, is the
printing of a flat surface. Lithography is the art of printing from a flat stone
(limestone) or metal plate by a method based on the simple fact that grease
attracts grease as it repels water. A design or image is drawn on the surface
with a greasy material - grease crayon, pencil or ink - and then water and
printing ink are applied. The greasy parts absorb the ink and the wet parts do
not. Acids are often used with this type of printmaking to etch the stone and
prevent grease from traveling where it should not. For example, if a finger is
placed on the surface, enough grease is transferred and as such, the fingerprint
will attract the ink. Unfortunately, lithography is a printing process which
requires the use of proper facilities and materials. However, showing your
students examples of lithography will help them to appreciate the fine art of
printmaking even more.
Stencil : Serigraphy
A stencil is a sheet of paper, fabric, plastic, metal or other material with
designs cut, perforated or punched from it. Ink is forced through the openings
onto the surface (paper, fabric etc.) to be printed. Sometimes called silk
screening, serigraphy (seri means silk) is a type of stencil printing. A stencil
is fastened to a sheet of silk which is tightly stretched across a wooden frame.
Or, an area of the silk is "blocked out" using glue, gum arabic or shellac. The
frame is placed against the material to be printed. A squeegee (rubber mounted
in wooden handle) is used to push the ink through the open areas onto the
material or paper below.
Relief Printing:
This is printing from a raised surface. A simple example of relief
printing is a rubber stamp pressed into a stamp pad and pressed onto a piece of
paper. Relief printing plates are made from flat sheets of material such as
wood, linoleum, metal, styrofoam etc. After drawing a picture on the surface,
the artist uses tools to cut away the areas that will not print. A roller -
called a brayer - is used to spread ink on the plate. A sheet of paper is
placed on top of the plate and the image is transferred by rubbing with the hand
or a block of wood, or by being run through a printing press. The completed
print is a mirror image of the original plate.
Intaglio:
This describes prints that are made by cutting the picture into the
surface of the printing plate. Using a sharp V-shaped tool - called a burin -
the printmaker gouges the lines of an image into the surface of a smooth
polished sheet of metal or in some cases a piece of plexiglass. To make a print,
ink is pushed into the lines of the design. The surface is then wiped clean so
that the only areas with ink are the lines. A sheet of paper which has been
soaked in water is then placed on the plate which is run through a printing
press. The paper is literally forced into the small lines that have been cut
into the plate. A variation of this technique is known as etching. With etching,
acids are used to eat into the metal plate
.
Planography (Lithography)
As we have just learned, relief prints are created from a raised surface,
and intaglio prints are created from a cut surface. Planography however, is the
printing of a flat surface. Lithography is the art of printing from a flat stone
(limestone) or metal plate by a method based on the simple fact that grease
attracts grease as it repels water. A design or image is drawn on the surface
with a greasy material - grease crayon, pencil or ink - and then water and
printing ink are applied. The greasy parts absorb the ink and the wet parts do
not. Acids are often used with this type of printmaking to etch the stone and
prevent grease from traveling where it should not. For example, if a finger is
placed on the surface, enough grease is transferred and as such, the fingerprint
will attract the ink. Unfortunately, lithography is a printing process which
requires the use of proper facilities and materials. However, showing your
students examples of lithography will help them to appreciate the fine art of
printmaking even more.
Stencil : Serigraphy
A stencil is a sheet of paper, fabric, plastic, metal or other material with
designs cut, perforated or punched from it. Ink is forced through the openings
onto the surface (paper, fabric etc.) to be printed. Sometimes called silk
screening, serigraphy (seri means silk) is a type of stencil printing. A stencil
is fastened to a sheet of silk which is tightly stretched across a wooden frame.
Or, an area of the silk is "blocked out" using glue, gum arabic or shellac. The
frame is placed against the material to be printed. A squeegee (rubber mounted
in wooden handle) is used to push the ink through the open areas onto the
material or paper below.